OMAHA, Neb. – Clearfield Area High School graduate Kyle Keane of Bradford will be seeking to earn All-American laurels for the second time in three years Friday and Saturday in the 2010 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships being hosted by Nebraska-Omaha.
The redshirt senior 165-pounder will be ending an outstanding Pitt-Johnstown career, now 97-30, with his third appearance at nationals.
He qualified as Super (East) Regional 1 champion in 2008 and won three of five matches to place fourth.
Keane was 1-2 at nationals last year after losing in the region finals to Mercyhurst’s Josh Shields (34-3), who is looking to repeat as national champion.
Keane placed third in the region two weeks ago, winning three of four bouts for a 27-8 record, and is ranked No. 7 after being as high as No. 3 in late January.
He’ll have to get past two really tough opponents Friday to reach the semifinals.
His first match Friday afternoon is with Nebraska-Kearney redshirt senior Taylor May (19-8), who placed fifth last year and seventh in 2007. May is the Super Regional 4 runner-up.
If victorious, Keane probably would have to contend with Upper Iowa’s Travis Eggers, who was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Super Regional 3 tourney after engineering two major decisions and a fall.
The No. 2-ranked Eggers, fourth at 157 in 2008, reached the finals at 157 a year ago, losing 4-2 in overtime to Nebraska-Omaha’s Todd Meenely, who was a two-time champ at 149.
Also in the lower bracket is Super Regional 2 champ Ryan Pankoke (29-6) of Nebraska-Omaha.
Shields and Super Regional 3 runner-up Tad Merritt (24-5) of St. Cloud (Minn.) State are the only returnees in the upper bracket.
Merritt eliminated Keane from last year’s tourney with a 6-1 decision in the second consolation round and went on to place third.
Region champions Shane Valko, ranked No. 1 at 133, and Chris Dempsey, ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, lead Pitt-Johnstown’s contingent of six qualifiers.
No. 5-ranked Patrick Walsh (184) was a runner-up, while Ryan Link (125) and Ryan McIntyre (149) placed fourth.
